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Bridge Project 2019 : Humapirhua, Bolivia

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This year's bridge project will be our second solo bridge build and our first Tag-Along mentorship with Georgia Institute of Technology (i.e. Georgia Tech) as they start their new Engineers in Action chapter.

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We are travelling to Bolivia to work with the community of Humapirhua in the construction of a 24 m span footbridge which will connect them to the communities of Anzaldo and Cochabamba. This pedestrian bridge will directly serve 300 individuals and 50 students as it will allow them to cross the river to get to school, hospitals, markets, farms, sports fields, and other necessary landmarks. Moreover, 480 more community members in neighbouring communities can benefit from the increase in economy, food access, and education.

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In preparation of this project, we are working on different tasks such as:

  • using the geographical and technical information provided by Engineers In Action to present a concept design and two other alternatives

  • collaborating with Bridge Corps, Engineers of Record, and EIA Technical Advisory Board to modify the concept based on the preliminary design submitted to the municipality agreement for material costing

  • performing design calculations as per the B2P Suspended Bridge Builders' Manual for the detailed analysis and making non-standard modifications if necessary

  • fundraising $29,290.00CAD to cover material and equipment costs through campus events, crowdfunding and corporate sponsorship

  • conducting construction-related workshops such as rebar bending and concrete mixing to get members acquainted with the mechanisms to be used on site

  • creating a detailed construction schedule and a quality control checklist according the the Bridge Builders' field guide which outlines each construction phase with time estimates

  • completing required safety certificates for protocol such as Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) training, EIA's safety quiz verification, Wilderness First Aid, and Fall Protection training

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Meet our travel team!

  1. ​Rochelle de Omania: Project Manager

  2. Imisi Olagesin: Student Bridge Engineer

  3. Georgia Dunn: Construction Manager

  4. Nikita Nineza: Quality Control Manager

  5. Maggie Harries: Logistics Manager

  6. David Percy: Media Manager

  7. Mabel Smith: Cultural Relations Manager

  8. Yuelin Qiu: Safety Manager

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Bridge Corps:

  1. Daniel Jorge Grock

  2. Sergio Arevalo

  3. Danny Romero

  4. Jordan Edmond

  5. Ian Chin

Tag-along members from Georgia Tech:

   1. Aubrey Awe

   2. Tyler Smith

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With a team of 10 undergraduate and 5 rotating bridge corps, we plan on maintaining our record to build this 24m footbridge in under 30 days within set budget and quality control standards.

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Project Timeline:

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 April 29th, 2019: Arrival in Cochabamba

We arrived in the morning in the beautiful city of Cochabamba where we were able to check in to our hostel and shop for the food and items we would need once we would arrive on site in Humapirhua. 

April 30th, 2019: Time to head to site, approximately a 1.5 hour drive to Humapirhua along rocky roads, narrow bridges and through small towns.

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